Condor Chick Hatches Live on Webcam

Senior zoo keeper Ron Webb monitors the new baby California condor chick recently born at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. CREDIT: Ken Bohn, San Diego Zoo Safari Park View full size image

San Diego Zoo Safari Park's newest California condor hatched over the weekend live on the zoo's webcam that was monitoring the bird's nest.

For decades, field biologists and zookeepers were the only people to witness hatchings of this endagered bird, but thanks to the webcam, people as far away as England, Scotland and France watched the chick hatch on Saturday (March 10).

In the above image, senior keeper Ron Webb monitors the chick two days after it hatched. Webcam watchers can see parents Sisquoc and Shatash care for the new chick on the webcam: www.sandiegozooglobal.org/video/condor_cam.

California condors are monogomous and mate for life. The birds can live up to 50 to 60 years and lay only one egg in their nest at a time.

The condors are listed as critically endangered; in 1982, there were only 22 birds in the wild. The zoo began its captive breeding program in the '80s, and has since released some 80 birds into the wild. There are now nearly 400 California condors in captivity and the wild.

Fans can also suggest a name for the chick in the Chumash language on the Wildlife Conservancy's Facebook wall at www.facebook.com/sdzglobal or by tweeting it to www.twitter.com/sdzglobal and using the hashtag #CondorName. Suggestions will be accepted through March 15.